More time for participative projects
The funded projects go beyond the communication or communication of the university's own research and serve to try out innovative and participatory formats of cooperation. The aim is, on the one hand, to provide university knowledge for social issues or current challenges and, on the other hand, to incorporate non-university perspectives into one's own research and thus initiate or further develop research processes together with stakeholders from society.
What form of support do the free spaces offer?
The "Open Humboldt Freir?ume" 2026/27 funding programme provides personnel resources and enables two different types of support. Please choose between:
The funding finances a teaching replacement for a 6-month leave of absence or partial leave of absence of the selected applicants to carry out a project in the field of 'Knowledge Exchange with Society'.
- Service: To compensate for teaching, the respective institutes can hire a substitute for the summer semester 2026 or winter semester 2026/27 from funds provided by the Berlin University Alliance or Humboldt-Universit?t.
- Scope: The funding programme covers the costs of a visiting professorship or guest lectureship for professors applying for funding. Applicant postdocs, doctoral candidates and habilitated academic staff can be employed as research assistants (TV-L 13).
- Start of funding: Summer semester 2026 OR winter semester 2026/27
- Funding duration: 6-month teaching replacement for summer semester 2026 OR winter semester 2026/27
- Target group: Professors, postdocs, habilitated academic staff and doctoral candidates from all disciplines at Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin who are currently employed at Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin until at least the end of the summer semester 2026 or the winter semester 2026/27 are eligible to apply. The positions of the applicants must have a teaching load and be fully financed from budget funds. Funding for the reduction in teaching hours is granted to individuals.
The funding finances positions for student employees with project commitment who support a transdisciplinary/participatory research project in the field of 'knowledge exchange with society'.
- Service: The respective institutes of the selected projects can use funds from the Berlin University Alliance to hire student employees for the year 2026.
- Scope: Project-related positions for student employees with 40 hours/month
- Start of funding: January 2026
- Funding duration: project-based positions for student employees for a maximum of 12 months in the period from January to December 2026 (funds limited until December 2026)
- Target group: Professors, postdocs, habilitated research associates and doctoral candidates from all disciplines at Humboldt-Universit?t who currently have an ongoing or planned transdisciplinary/participatory research project in dialogue with social actors and can advance it through the collaboration of student employees are eligible to apply. The funding of student employees requires that the recruitment process can be carried out at the respective faculty or institute and that the necessary resources (workplace) are available.
How can I submit an application?
Application process and documents: Applications should be submitted to the Competence Field "Knowledge Exchange with Society" at the ZI Centre for Cultural Technology using the following application process:
- Application: Fill out the application form digitally and send it to: Application Open Humboldt Freir?ume.
For the digital application form, your CV and, for applications from professors, the CV of the requested visiting professorship or lectureship should be available in pdf/doc. - Print/download: Please download the completed application in the last step or print it out to sign it digitally or in person.
- Signatures: Please sign the application digitally or in person and have it countersigned by the relevant dean's office.
- Please send the signed PDF by 17 October 2025 by email with the subject "Open Humboldt Freir?ume" in one PDF to wissensaustausch.zfk? Please insert an @ at this point ?hu-berlin? Please insert a period at this pointde.
What are the eligibility and selection criteria?
Selection for "Open Humboldt Freir?ume" sponsorship is based on an assessment of the quality of the project by a selection committee and on the project's compliance with the sponsorship criteria. The amount of teaching load or the individual profile of student assistants are not included in the assessment. The funding criteria are
The programme supports projects that enable a multidirectional exchange between science and society. The project enquires about and takes into account social needs and current issues and contributes to solutions and social improvements through scientific research and testing. Participatory concepts and broad opportunities for participation enable active contributions from relevant target groups and incorporate the knowledge and experience of non-university stakeholders in research projects.
The aim of the funding programme is to support an exchange of knowledge with society in which non-university perspectives are incorporated into academic work and university knowledge benefits social issues. During the selection process, care is taken to ensure that the proposed project idea with its stakeholders, implementation formats and expected results works towards this goal and enables a multidirectional exchange.
The selection takes into account the feasibility of the project:
- Feasibility of the planned formats, availability of resources (project funds, project locations);
- Accessibility of the target groups or co-operation partners or concrete plans to establish these;
- feasible timetable for the project or for the selected semester;
- Realisability of the expected results or the goal of initiating long-term processes during the project period.
In the case of applications for funding for student employees, the plausibility of the work plan and schedule for the (sub)project involving the student assistant and their planned contribution to the overall project will also be taken into account.
How does the selection process and the organisation of the funding work?
- Selection procedure: The HU's Open Humboldt Expert Group assesses the project applications on the basis of the funding criteria and makes a funding recommendation. The decision on the funded applications is made by the HU Executive Board on the basis of this recommendation and within the framework of the available funding. The decisions on the applications will be communicated to the applicants in December 2025/January 2026.
- Organisation of funding: The organisation of representations and student employees is carried out by the funding recipients in cooperation with the respective institutes and takes place within the framework of the current service agreement. Please note that according to the service agreement, positions must be advertised and plan the hiring times accordingly. Please ensure that the hired replacements are available for teaching in time for the start of the SoSe 2026 or WS 2026/27.
- Programme network: The sponsorship programme "Open Humboldt Freir?ume" offers networking opportunities with other sponsorship recipients and projects, competence workshops or occasional programme meetings. Sponsorship recipients are cordially invited to take part and should be available for occasional networking events or representative purposes of the programme where possible.
For the selected sponsorship recipients and projects, the Knowledge Exchange with Society competence field at the ZI Centre for Cultural Technology is available for consultation and support where possible. For example, grantees can offer a public (digital) event on their project during the funding period in cooperation with the stages of the ZI Centre for Cultural Technology. - Project completion: At the end of the funding period, grantees submit a project report (2 pages). The report documents the extent to which the project objective stated in the application was achieved and whether further interfaces between the project and the grantee's research and teaching have emerged.
Frequently asked questions
Unfortunately, no. The funds available are limited to personnel resources for teaching staff or student employees and cannot be converted into material resources. Parallel applications for project funding can be submitted to other funding programmes or institutions. If you have any further questions, please contact the Knowledge Exchange with Society team at the ZfK(wissensaustausch.zfk? Please insert an @ at this point ?hu-berlin? Please insert a period at this pointde).
The number varies from year to year, but on average the following numbers can be funded within the framework of the available funding:
- approx. 3 projects with funding for a teaching replacement and release from teaching duties for one semester
- approx. 4 projects with funding for a position for student employees for up to 12 months.
A project is suitable if it initiates or further develops research processes together with stakeholders from society. It is suitable if the project goes beyond the regular operations of the subject. This is of particular relevance for subject groups that already work with non-university stakeholders in regular operations. The aim of the funding line is to promote multidirectional exchange between science and society. Multidirectional can mean that university knowledge is made available for social issues or current challenges, but in return, non-university perspectives and impulses are also incorporated into one's own research.
No. If you have an idea and have perhaps already taken the first organisational steps (you know which players you would like to work with and may have already made contact), the Knowledge Exchange with Society team(wissensaustausch.zfk? Please insert an @ at this point ?hu-berlin? Please insert a period at this pointde) will be happy to advise you on further planning and recommend further training opportunities. However, a project that is just beginning should be realistically planned for the available time of one semester in your funding application.
A project is considered innovative if it tries out a new approach, attempts new formats or addresses previously unreached target groups. A project is particularly participatory if non-academic stakeholders are involved in an equal cooperation partnership and have a say in the organisation, objectives and results of the project.
The funding period for the Freir?ume teaching representation is one semester. The funding period for financing a position for student employees is a maximum of 12 months in 2026. However, the projects funded can be of different durations, including short, time-limited projects of one semester or project parts as part of a larger project. You should realistically assess and plan the workload in order to ensure the feasibility of the project objectives or to initiate longer-term, sustainable processes during the funding period.
Application questions: To help you think through your project proposal, you can look at all the questions on the application form in advance. Use the 'Question index' function at the top right of the online application form to view all pages and questions.
Eligibility criteria: The evaluation of applications is based on the compliance of the project proposal with these defined eligibility criteria. Check your project proposal against these criteria and describe how the planned project fulfils them.
Contact: If you have any further questions, please contact the 'Knowledge Exchange with Society' team at the ZfK.
- Project proposal: To answer all questions about the project proposal efficiently, you can look at all the questions on the application form in advance. Use the 'Question index' function at the top right of the online application form to view all pages and questions.
- Application form: please complete this online application form to submit your application.
- Signed application: Please download the completed application in the last step or print it out to sign it digitally or in person. The version of the application signed by you and the responsible dean's office should be sent by email with the subject "Open Humboldt Freir?ume" in a PDF to wissensaustausch.zfk@hu-berlin.de by 17 October 2025.
- Signature of the responsible dean's office: Your department and faculty should support your application with a signature, this should be obtained before the application deadline.
- CV of the applicant: 2 to 4 pages; if applicable, with a list of selected memberships, research collaborations, reviewer activities, awards, third-party funding, publications relevant to the project; preferably in PDF format for uploading
- For applications from professors: Short CV of the requested visiting professorship/lectureship, maximum 2 pages; preferably in PDF for uploading
The organisation of teaching substitutes and positions for student employees is carried out by the funding recipients in cooperation with the institutes. Applications must be signed by the dean's office responsible for you. Please inform your dean's office in good time so that the deputies to be hired are available for teaching in time for the start of the semester.
Grantees are welcome to participate in skills development workshops and network with other grantees and alumni. If possible, grantees should be available for occasional networking events or representative purposes of the programme. A project report (2 pages) must be submitted at the end of the funding programme. The report documents the extent to which the project objective stated in the application has been achieved and whether further interfaces between the project and research and teaching have emerged. Please plan evaluation steps into your project right from the start.
Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin covers the costs for the compensation of teaching substitutions from funds of the Berlin University Alliance (personnel costs, budget funds). The funds are accounted for in the Department of Strategic Development (PB3). Together with their institutes, the funding recipients are responsible for organising the replacements in good time. The process provides for personnel applications to be submitted by you and the responsible administrative management of the institute, submitted to the Department of Strategic Development for the release of funds and then forwarded to the Human Resources Department - usually by the faculty administration. The advertisements and personnel documents must be prepared in good time and the processing times in the Human Resources Department must be observed. Please note that positions to be filled as academic staff (TV-L 13) must be advertised in accordance with the current service agreement.
The costs for the position for student employees are covered by Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin using funds from the Berlin University Alliance (personnel costs, budget funds). The funds are accounted for in the Department of Strategic Development (PB3). The funding recipients and their institutes are jointly responsible for the timely organisation of positions. The process provides for personnel applications to be submitted by you and the responsible administrative management of the institute, submitted to the Department of Strategic Development for the release of funds and then forwarded to the Human Resources Department - usually by the faculty administration. The advertisements and personnel documents must be prepared in good time and the processing times in the Human Resources Department must be observed. Please note that positions to be filled by student employees must be advertised in accordance with the current service agreement.